Search This Blog

Good morning, y'all. Svea woke me up at 5AM this morning so she could drink a bottle, and when I went back to bed, I was wide awake. So, I decided to get up and work, hopefully squeezing a few productive hours out of my day. Right now it's 6:47AM and I'm a bit dazed.

Anyway, I'm very very pleased to present to you a little aural Christmas gift. Since we're at the end of 2007, I'd like to offer up one more 10th-anniversary remix from my 1997 album Recital, before we move on to a new year.

This twangy number is called "Worse For You" and although it is certainly one of the least played and least noticed songs in my catalog, it holds a special place in my heart. AND, now that it's been extraordinarily remixed by uber-engineer Matt Patrick, maybe it will experience a resurgence in the consciousness of America.

"WORSE FOR YOU" COMMENTARY:I wrote the song back in 1995 (I think) in Eugene, OR. Here's a photo of my friend Lowell Michelson during the recording session for this song at This Here Studio in Milford, IA back in 1996. Lowell's drumming, as usual, is quite delicious on this tune. I'm playing and singing the other parts, and I'm particularly happy with the honkeytonk guitar solo. I also enjoy the fact that this song contains a major-7 chord during the chorus, and that is a rare occasion in my songwriting. After the album came out in Summer of 1997 my Chicago-era band (Benji Derrick: bass and vocals; Andy Deitrich: drums; Matt Marohl: pedal steel) performed this tune regularly in concert, and we did a darn good version of it. Alas, Benji moved away in 2000, ending that version of the band, and the song has never been performed since.

The lyrics address an awkward situation to which you may be able to relate, and they even have a connection to Christmas. One December long ago I was excited to be flying home to Upper Michigan for Christmas vacation, but I became aware that some other people I knew didn't have enough money to travel back to their own hometowns. So, they were forced to stay put, spending the holiday alone and separated from their loved ones. And, I realized that I couldn't express my own feelings of excitement and joy without making them feel bad about their lack of finances and inability to get home for Christmas. So here's the lyrics, in the hopes that all of you have a happy and fun place to go in these coming weeks. Sing along now, carolers!

yes I've got my tickets tacked up on the boardand I know this two-way fare is more than you can affordso the next time that I'm leaving I'll try to keep the noises down'cause it makes it worse for you to stay around

it makes it worse for you to sit here and do nothingit makes it worse for you to sit here all alone

yes I've got my baggage lined up on the floorand I know that you don't want to hear it anymorebut I know you won't be sleeping, you'll have the stupid TV onand everything you see will make you wish that you were gone

it makes it worse for you to sit here and do nothingit makes it worse for you to sit here all alone